


A Day in the Life

by KellyLiz



Category: Lizzie Bennet Diaries
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-02
Updated: 2013-11-02
Packaged: 2017-12-31 07:19:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1028839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KellyLiz/pseuds/KellyLiz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lizzie and Darcy celebrate their nine-month anniversary.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Day in the Life

Lizzie liked to scan the newspaper on her computer after finishing her first round of email messages. A strange headline caught her attention and just as she clicked on the article, her phone rang.

“Hey,” she smiled as she spoke. “How are you? You were still asleep when I left this morning.”

“I’m sorry about that. I missed seeing you when I woke up.” William’s voice was regretful. “Lizzie, I can’t leave early as we planned today for our anniversary. I apologize, I really wanted to take you out for a romantic dinner.”

“Oh,” Lizzie swallowed her disappointment. “Well, that’s okay. We can have a nice dinner at home.”

“I’ll pick up something for dinner on my way,” he said. “I’m so sorry this happened on our anniversary.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Lizzie said reassuringly. “I’ll go to the gym for my class if you are going to be late.”

After she said goodbye, Lizzie stared at her phone unseeingly. She was a little nervous about her gift to William. She had agonized over what to get before turning to Fitz for inspiration a few weeks ago. 

“I really want to get William something special for our nine-month anniversary,” Lizzie had told Fitz over lunch. “But I’m not sure what. And I’m a little strapped for money because I have my eye on a great gift for him for Christmas.”

“He can buy whatever he wants,” Fitz pointed out. “For an anniversary gift, it’ll be more touching if it’s something creative, from the heart.”

“Maybe,” Lizzie’s voice trailed off. She ran her fingers across the edge of the table as she thought.

“What has been your favorite gift from Darcy?” Fitz asked.

Lizzie frowned a minute. “He’s given me so many wonderful gifts. I loved it when he brought Jane out to visit me and Lydia last October.”

“Anything else that was just for you?”

“Making me a home office. It was so amazing. He must have spent hours cleaning out the spare room, painting it, bringing in his mom’s furniture from storage and then getting photos from my family and Charlotte. He did all that to give me my own space. It is wonderful.”

“See?” Fitz grinned. “It didn’t cost him much, it was mostly a labor of love. He was thinking of you and what you would want and he made it happen.”

“But I can’t do that. It’s his condo and he has everything he wants.”

“Lizzie B., you’re creative. Think of something you can do that he would like.” Fitz took a bite of his sandwich and raised his eyebrows at her. He waited patiently while she pondered. 

Lizzie’s eyes lit up. “A few weeks ago, I came home earlier than expected because my last meeting had been canceled. I found William watching my old video diaries. He was so cute, he got embarrassed when I saw what he was doing.” She tilted her head to the side, deep in thought. “When I was really getting to know William at Pemberley and discovering what a great guy he is, I couldn’t talk about it on my diaries because I knew he was watching and so were others close to him.” She gave Fitz a mock annoyed look.

“First of all, only you would call Darcy 'cute'." Fitz raised his eyebrows. "Second, you and Darcy should count yourselves lucky that Gigi and I were two of the others since we helped you two hook up.”

"Eternally grateful as always," Lizzie waved at the last part of his comment and continued with her train of thought. “So he had to put up with all of those vlogs where I ranted about him before I really knew him and then I said nothing when I was falling for him. Maybe I can make a video—like some of our interactions when I was falling in love with him at Pemberley.” She looked at Fitz expectantly.

“He would love that,” Fitz assured her.

“Can you help? I could use you and Gigi for some costume theater to re-enact some of my experiences with William at Pemberley.”

“Do I get to play Darcy?” Fitz asked with a note of anticipation in his voice.

“Yep.” Lizzie laughed. “Unless you want to play me.”

“Either way, I’m in,” Fitz nodded. “You should have Gigi play you and you be Gigi.”

Lizzie grimaced. “That could be a little scary. I have this vision of Gigi batting her eyes and simpering at Darcy if she was playing me.”

“That’s not too far from the truth,” Fitz grinned.

“I didn’t simper,” Lizzie said sternly.

“Yeah, you just eyed him up and stared at his lips.” Fitz patted her arm. “And that was on camera. I can just imagine how you looked at him in the office when there was no camera to record it.”

Lizzie blushed. “I was always professional.”

“You just keep telling yourself that, Lizzie B.”

“Gigi is coming to visit in a couple weeks,” Lizzie looked at the calendar on her phone. “I’ll write some scripts, start editing the footage I have that I can use and figure out a time when William is busy that you two can come over and film.”

Fitz typed into his phone. “Let me know. I’ll be practicing my Darcy mannerisms in the meantime.” He tucked his chin into his neck and stared at Lizzie with a longing look.

Lizzie laughed. “That brings back memories.”

Lizzie’s computer calendar brought her out of her trance as it flashed a reminder of her staff meeting coming up in five minutes. She closed the window on the San Francisco Chronicle, noting several tantalizingly odd headlines she would like to read at lunch. A night in might be even better than dinner out. Her gift had to be viewed at home and she could set it up before William was back from his meeting.

 

*

The jarring sound of his car alarm startled William from his reverie as he entered the condo. Switching the bag of takeout food to his other hand and juggling the flowers, he pulled his keys from his pocket and stopped the alarm. He put the food in the kitchen and grabbed a vase for the roses. He would just have time to set the table before Lizzie came back from the gym.

William smiled when he heard the shower running as he entered their bedroom. Lizzie must have left her Zumba class early today. He had shucked off shoes, socks, tie and shirt when he heard a strange thumping coming from the bathroom. 

Lizzie was banging the upside down bottle of conditioner against the wall of the shower, trying to get the conditioner from the bottom of the container out of the neck. He laughed when a huge dollop spilled out all over her hand and she swore. Lizzie jumped, turning towards him with a squeak. “William! You startled me. I didn’t hear you come in.”

“We have more conditioner. Would you like me to get you a new bottle?” He asked, undoing his belt as he spoke.

“No, thanks.” Lizzie cupped her hand to force some of the conditioner back in the bottle. She replaced the cap and worked the remainder through her hair. “I want to use all of it. Do you know how many plastic bottles we’d save if everyone used the last remnants of every product?”

William stepped into the shower. “You would probably like it if you could just take your bottle back to the drugstore to purchase a refill from a huge vat of conditioner.” He stepped closer to Lizzie and reached around her for the body gel.

Lizzie’s eyes lit up. “That is a great idea! Think of the savings of cost, transportation and production of all those little bottles, and the impact on our landfills. Brillant!” Lizzie turned away to set the conditioner bottle on the shelf.

William shook his head. “People like convenience. I think this might be more feasible when the costs of garbage or plastic bottles are much higher than they currently are.”

Lizzie frowned. “Yeah, there probably isn’t enough demand now. I can dream, right? Hey,” she shivered. “I’ve already washed there.”

“Are you sure? You can get really sweaty from your workouts.” William spun her around to face him and slipped his other arm around her waist.

“I guess it never hurts to double check,” Lizzie wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to meet her lips.

The bathroom was very steamy by the time they stepped out of the shower. Lizzie handed William a large towel and grabbing another one, started toweling her hair. “Jane called. She and Bing are taking some extra time from work to fly out here for Lydia’s birthday. Then they’ll spend several days with Bing’s parents before going to Netherfield so they can spend Christmas at my parent’s house.”

“Has Lydia decided what she wants to do to celebrate her birthday?” William finished drying off and wrapped the towel around his waist. He watched regretfully as Lizzie, finished with her hair, tucked her towel around her body.

Lizzie grinned at him, clearly understanding his look. “She wants a very different party from last year. A small private dinner at a fancy restaurant, and then a slumber party, she said. Is it okay if you and Bing stay at Fitz and Brandon’s after dinner? I don’t want to evict you from your own place, but—“

“That’s fine, Lizzie.” William carefully moved Lizzie’s hair and started to massage her bare shoulders. “It’s your home too. Bing and I will be more than happy to leave the condo for your sock slides, pillow fights and RomCom marathons.”

Lizzie closed her eyes and sighed. “Oh, that feels good,” she let her shoulders slump. “You forgot to mention gossiping about boys.”

“Really?” William brought his hands to just below her shoulder blades and pressed his thumbs hard into her muscles in circular motions. “What do you divulge about your boyfriend?”

“That he gives the best massages,” Lizzie leaned back into his hands a little more. 

“Anything else?” William leaned closer, his warm breath tickling her ear.

“No, the rest is private.” Lizzie’s eyes closed under his soothing massage. “Don’t guys kiss and tell more than girls generally?”

“I’ve heard a few locker room stories,” William pushed Lizzie’s towel down to her waist so he could reach further down her back. “However, I do not tell them.”

“That doesn’t surprise me.” William saw Lizzie’s knees wobbling as she relaxed. “You’re such a gentleman.”

Lizzie swayed a little and William reached down and scooped her up. He carried to their bed where he laid her on her stomach, continuing to massage her low back. “You’re my hero,” Lizzie mumbled into the pillow.

“So what don’t you tell your girlfriends about me?” By this time William had reached Lizzie’s legs. He kneaded her hamstrings with long, strong strokes before moving down to her calves. 

“I do not tell them what amazing hands you have,” Lizzie sighed. “That’s only for me to know.”

William flipped her over, not bothering to cover her with the towel that had fallen open. He combed her hair back and smiled down at her. “What else don’t you tell them?”

“That you’re insatiable,” Lizzie lifted her arms and tugged his towel from his waist. “Irresistible.” She pulled him down into her arms and kissed his neck. “Sexy,” she kissed his jaw. “Ardent,” she moved up to his chin. “Tender,” and then she reached his lips and stopped talking.

Later, William rolled to his back drawing Lizzie into his side. She lightly ran her fingertips up and down his inner arm. William smiled into her hair. “You’re not about to fall asleep on me already, are you?”

“No,” Lizzie propped herself on her elbow and leaned down to give him a long kiss. “Happy Anniversary.”

He smiled, running his fingers through her hair. “Happy Anniversary, Lizzie.”

Lizzie swung her feet over the edge of the bed and picking up her towel, went in to their walk-in closet. “I’m starving,” her voice floated out to him.

When Lizzie emerged wearing a satin blue robe that skimmed her body, William had put on pants and a shirt. She looked breathtaking with her tousled, damp hair and the tight robe that outlined her body. He smiled appreciatively as his hands ran down the sides of her waist and hips. “This is nice.”

Lizzie spun around for him. “I hoped you’d like it.”

“I brought home dinner,” he took her hand. “Let’s go eat.”

*

Lizzie was surprised to find candles and a bouquet of roses in the center of a set table. “This is so lovely, William,” she said pausing to smell the roses.

He pulled out a chair for her then planted a kiss on her forehead. “I’ll be right back.”

They ate slowly, talking about their day and upcoming work projects. William cleared the table when they had finished and then came back, holding a small box in his hand. “Happy Anniversary,” he said again and handed it to Lizzie, sitting on the chair beside her.

Lizzie opened the box. Inside was gorgeous necklace with three hanging opal pendants in a chandelier pattern set in white gold. The opals glowed with varying colors of blue mixed with hues of white and pink.

Lizzie gasped. “It’s beautiful, William.” Lizzie put the necklace on so that it hung down the open v-neckline of her robe. “Thank you.”

He smiled at her and reached over to lift the pendant. “It’ll probably work better with clothes.”

“It even makes my robe look dressy.” Lizzie stood up and walked over to William, standing between his legs. She wrapped her arms around him and bent down to kiss him heatedly, her hands clutching his shoulders. William angled his head and then pulled her down on his lap, fisting one hand in her hair and the other grasping her back to pull her closer.

Lizzie sat back and grinned at him. “Are you ready for your present?” she asked. She felt a flutter of anxiety deep in her stomach. 

“Yes,” William’s hands encircled her ribs as she clambered off his lap. They walked to the living room where Lizzie guided him to the couch and then sat close to him. She had already set up the desktop computer to play on the large-screen television and she picked up the remote and turned it on. 

“I made you a special behind-the-scenes edition of the Lizzie Bennet Diaries at Pemberley. I want you to be able to see how my feelings were changing as I shadowed there.”

William chuckled as the video started with Lizzie back in her old office at Pemberley. “How did you sneak into Pemberley without me knowing?” he asked putting his arm around her and pulling her close.

“I know people in high places,” Lizzie smirked. “With Reynolds’ assistance, I snuck in a couple weeks ago when you were at a long lunch meeting with clients, and on the Saturday with Gigi and Fitz when you were on the flight home from your trip to Chicago.”

William’s lips turned up as he watched video-Lizzie gush about Pemberley. She looked embarrassed when she admitted that she was surprised how welcoming and caring Darcy had been when Gigi tricked them into their first closed-door meeting. 

“How could you not know I was still crazy about you?” he whispered to her. 

Lizzie shook her head at him. “After what I said to you?”

“All deserved,” he said sheepishly.

“Not all,” Lizzie pointed out. “I had some huge misconceptions going on.”

William’s smile grew wider when Lizzie’s video showed their conversation about costume theater with a close-up in slow motion of her checking him out and then staring at his lips. The frame froze on her rattled expression at the end of episode 80 and Lizzie’s voiceover explained this was when she first admitted to herself the strong pull of attraction she felt for Darcy.

“I always knew he was hot,” video-Lizzie said. “Now I finally realized I was hot for him.”

William tightened his arm around Lizzie. “You know how much I wanted to grab you and kiss you after you asked me if I thought Bing still cared about Jane, right?”

Lizzie nodded. “I wasn’t sure how much was coming from me or you at the time, but I felt the tension.”

William laughed out loud when Gigi as Lizzie and Fitz as Darcy flirted awkwardly in Pemberley’s break room. He noted Gigi!Lizzie’s exaggerated lustful stare at Fitz!Darcy when he turned away to reach up and get her some tea. “I wished I had seen that at the time,” he commented. Lizzie’s voiceover commented that their ‘accidental’ meetings in the halls and break room at Pemberley became more frequent and she found herself hall-stalking Darcy at times.

“Really?” he turned to her with a big smile. “I was doing the same to you.”

“No wonder we ran into each other so often,” Lizzie said cuddling closer to him.

The next scene had the camera centered on Gigi as Lizzie sitting in a conference room ostensibly taking notes at a Pemberley meeting. Fitz!Darcy was walking around the room talking, only the trunk of his body showing as he passed by closely behind Gigi!Lizzie’s chair. Gigi!Lizzie made her eyes round as they followed Fitz!Darcy’s progress, her expression becoming more yearning at each pass until her tongue moistened her lips and then she pulled back and looked down at her still-empty notepad, embarrassed. The next time he walked by, her head popped back up and she started fanning herself and pulling at her collar as her face flushed. William was laughing so hard by the end he had to hold his ribs with the arm that was not around Lizzie. “Gigi totally overacted this scene,” Lizzie commented drily. “I was not drooling at the end of that meeting.”

“I remember you excused yourself at one meeting to get some water,” William said when he was able to talk again. “Was that this meeting?”

“Maybe,” Lizzie looked down with a slight smile and ran her fingers across the knees of her robe. “I might have needed a short break.”

Gigi!Lizzie and Fitz!Darcy along with Lizzie as Gigi were back in Lizzie’s office. (“Gigi insisted it was more fun if we played each other in costume theater,” Lizzie told William.) Lizzie!Gigi kept looking at her phone and snapping photos as they enacted the tour of San Francisco. Gigi!Lizzie batted her eyelashes and openly stared more frequently at Fitz!Darcy as they showed how the day progressed while Fitz!Darcy pretty much talked to her lips the entire tour. Lizzie’s voiceover told of her increasing comprehension of her feelings towards Darcy during that momentous day.

Gigi as Lizzie screamed when she heard loud birds overhead and plastered herself to Fitz!Darcy’s arm. Fitz!Darcy was beside himself with joy and kept leering at Gigi!Lizzie’s bent head. “Really,” William said. “I wasn’t _that_ obvious--or creepy.”

Lizzie cut together all the flirtatious moments from their corporate interview video. “Most of the interview was interspersed with us flirting,” she said to William. “I did lengthen a few of our stares.” Their stares became more obvious and humorous when seen close up. At the end, video-Lizzie told the camera how enamored she was with Darcy by this point. 

William could feel the intensity and tension through the screen. “I like this version,” he told her.

Lizzie grinned watching William as her video counterpart praised Darcy. He looked pleased and embarrassed, similar to his expression during their corporate interview when she had commented on his being such a young CEO. Video-Lizzie commented on his caring nature, especially noting his relationship with Gigi. “I don’t know how I ever thought such a sweet, sensitive guy was unfeeling,” she said. “I was so blind.”

Lizzie also included the footage from when Darcy asked her to the theater. Her voiceover noted that she was about to say yes when Charlotte’s call interrupted them. “I felt so guilty and upset about Lydia that I pushed aside how bereft I felt leaving Darcy that day,” her voice commented as the video showed Darcy rubbing her back. “I could not deal with it at that point.”

The video cut to Lizzie back in her old Pemberley office looking cheerful again. “Fortunately, we have a happy ending. Once away from Pemberley, I discovered my feelings toward Darcy were even deeper than I had realized. And when he came to see me on my birthday….” her voice trailed off. “Well the rest is history.”

The orchestrated crescendo from the end of the Beatles’ ‘A Day in the Life’ played with edited footage of Lizzie and Darcy’s interactions from the Pemberley videos. Lizzie had cut them in sequence so it showed their looks becoming increasingly warmer and more openly expressive and yearning as the music escalated. The first passionate kiss initiated by William on Lizzie’s birthday was set to the climatic crash of the music ending. The dramatic E chord echoed for several seconds in place of Lizzie’s usual outro music as they kissed. The screen froze immediately after that kiss, when foreheads touching, they both looked down and smiled in relief.

William turned to Lizzie. His eyes were moist and he touched her cheek gently. “That was amazing, Lizzie.” He pulled her into his arms in a long hug. “This is the best gift I’ve ever received.”

“Really?” Lizzie held him tightly.

“Yes,” he leaned back so he could see her face. “because you put so much of yourself in it. I will watch this video over and over again. It means so much to me.”

Lizzie beamed. She had hoped he would like it but had honestly not expected him to be this touched. She leaned up to kiss him, whispering “I love you,” against his lips.

A few minutes later, Lizzie broke away from their kiss. “There is another part to your gift.” William raised his eyebrows. “You just have to unwrap this robe to see it,” Lizzie said.

William’s hands were on the sash of her robe pulling it open before the last word was out of Lizzie’s mouth. Lizzie heard him gulp when he saw the miniscule slips of blue satin material passing as a bra and underwear. His hands ran down her chest to touch the bra reverently, and Lizzie’s breathing grew ragged. “I don’t think you’ll ever manage to keep these on for very long around me,” his voice was husky. 

William scooped her up and carried her to the bedroom, laying her carefully on the bed. He stood over her, looking down at her with a longing look that reminded Lizzie of Pemberley. Lizzie held up her arms to him and he dropped down on top of her after quickly divesting himself of his shirt and pants.

She twisted to the nightstand and reached for the stereo remote. She pushed play. “I cued up ‘A Day in the Life’,” she said. “Let’s see if we can finish with the final chord.”

He laughed. “Give me a little more credit. I won't be that quick.”

Lizzie grinned. “But I might.”

**Author's Note:**

> The Beatles [A Day in the Life](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-Q9D4dcYng). You may notice some similarities from the structure of the song to the structure of the story.


End file.
